Her Jaded Eyes
by gottahavekyuubi
Summary: Shizuka; Emotionally damaged; kunoichi; combat genius. Naruto; Orphan; jinchuuriki; hero. This is not fate; it's fault. The mistakes of the past have come for reparation. "Thanks you old perv! You've done me a real solid here! NOT!"
1. I Just Wanted Some Ramen

**So this is an old project  
that I've been working on since like  
2015\. This thing is ancient as fuck**

 **I've been losing the inspiration to write  
for my other fanfictions; so here you go  
this hogwash of a mess that I actually  
quite enjoyed writing lol**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: I Just Wanted Some Ramen**

"Remind me again why we're docking here?" A frustrated sigh was heard. "I really want to get to this resort already!"

Another frustrated sigh echoed. "We're out of supplies and quite frankly, I need a break from all the sloshing waters…and you."

"Oh please, I'm not _that_ bad." The first responded indignantly. "If anything, I need a break from _you_."

"Naruto." The second voice slapped his hand upon his face. "Shut up."

The instant the gangplank had fallen, the four Konoha shinobi jumped ship. Orange and green blurred through the docks, pushing and swiping past men and women in the market. The mission, escape each other's presence as quickly as possible – ignore all questions and distractions – the goal, the desire; see someone other than one another. Hear voices other than each other's. Monotony had become ear splitting horror, transforming their boring and annoyingly buoyant reality to a waking nightmare.

They've been on that rocking, sloshing, shaking _thing_ rife with enmity for far too long and it was beginning to grate on their painfully thin nerves. It was a unanimous agreement, albeit unspoken, the smallest, the minutest thing, no matter the source or object out of place, each of them would lose every ounce of their proverbial shit. Naruto, more so than his companions. Even now, his soles beating and tapping against the wooden planks of the dock couldn't deter the shaking feeling.

He hobbled, fighting the crashing waves reverberating in his ears. Naruto held his stomach, listening to the ever seasick Gai-sensei barf up an ocean of goop. Green wallowed in the light blue waters surrounding the island, creating a dark hole of uncertainty and unquestionable disgust. Unbeknownst to him, half his face twitched while the other fell slack, tired and honestly in need of some serious R&R. There were things he needed to forget; there were things he needed to reflect on, and he knew he wouldn't accomplish any of that if he continued to listen to that green jumpsuit wearing throw up machine, give the sapphire ocean a new color palette. Feet finally meeting paved roads and cobblestone, he released the most powerful sigh of relief he'd ever known he could muster.

"Okay…" Head spinning as he took in a breath to rival the one he just released. Eyes whipped back and forth, watching his sensei and jōnin companions take off. "First order of business, RAMEN!"

Taking a few strides, he smirked to himself. The island was definitely a one of a kind. From the triplet mountain tops with silhouettes at their summits bearing semblance to a village, to the various restaurants and small eateries dotting the dock and the inner village. His mouth watered at the possibilities and the ramen; oh the ramen, he could smell heaven wafting with the oceanic breeze.

Fishing his pouch for Gama-chan, his first real best friend, he pulled it out relishing at how fat she'd become. The fatter, the better he mused. Tossing her up and down, his smile beamed hearing the Ryo cents jingle and the Ryo paper notes rustle within, like music. Not only was she incredibly dependable, she was talented. Naruto had a soft chuckle, tossing the frog wallet between his hands.

Little did he know, there was a soft scuffle coming, a rustle that could easily ruin the vibe, the aura of his day. A nagging feeling pulled at the back of his mind. He knew something was happening, but he needed ramen, he _needed_ a moment, _just one_ moment of peace. But that feeling would not leave him alone – now his legs were ignoring his orders. His heart raced feeling the sweat trickle down the back of his neck, such a scuffle couldn't be normal – there had to be a fight.

 _But ramen…_

Naruto whipped his head back towards the source of his perturbation. There wasn't a thing out of place; merchants selling their wares, fishermen delivering to the market along the docks, a giant robot.

 _Wait…what?_

Rubbing his eyes, a great robot was standing just down the street, its metallic body glimmered in the light of midday. Upon _it_ there were a series of greens and browns, coupled with a pair of numbers painted upon its chassis. Tilting his head, blue eyes locked with the horrid contraption, narrowing upon the pilot. In the cockpit, a lecherous looking man sat with glasses and a grin stretched across his face. But as his vision began to clear, his rebellious feet finally began to move, barely yet definitely following his commands. His feet twisted in the opposite direction of the monstrosity. It wasn't his business and it sure as hell wasn't his fight; he was only here to rest up, get away from his jōnin companions and fill his belly with as much ramen as it could carry.

Suddenly, a few shouts and calls of fear echoed in those throbbing ears of his. He bit his lip, clenching his fists; doing everything and anything in his power to _not_ get involved. Too many pit stops on islands he'd honestly never known existed, had brought them to their lack of supplies. Getting involved would only delay him further – and please; he _really_ wanted to see this resort. Learning that he'd get to meet an octopus that could talk was probably the greatest thing he'd ever heard in his _life_. Any more stops and _R &R_ would simply delay his date with destiny – literally.

But DAMN those calls of horror and screams of terror. That robot's feet were loud and thunderous to the innocent and uncaring. Such a thing was far from what Naruto wanted to hear while he slurped away at his soon to be witnessed, ocean of ramen. It was only a few more steps, just a few more shops away. He could see the trickle, the cloud and steam of ramen boiling creeping from an open stall. Shutting his eyes a few times, Naruto's back tensed. His arms were stiff and pretty much every muscle in his body clenched; he was going to lose his mind.

 _Agh, what the hell…_

Spinning on his heels, he faced the direction of the robot; hitai-ate straps waving in the wind with dust rising from his rustled sandals. The beast of a creation hobbled forward, shattering the cobblestone poking from the dirt path. With chakra in his ears; Naruto could hear the man giggle, hell, _cackle_ like a madman. Narrowing his eyes, the boy caught sight of strings of chakra running from the man's fingertips. Thinking and running through his thoughts; such a technique looked incredibly familiar. It was then that it hit him; it was a puppet, a lot like Sasori and Kankuro's abilities.

 _Congrats me for remembering!_ Naruto cheered.

Either way, puppet or no, such a thing needed to be stopped and defeated. The people were terrified. Why was this guy attacking this innocent village; why was this place –

"Hey!" The boy called a bit surprised.

Interrupting his train of thought, a girl with a white hood and poncho pushed past him. Her shoulder bumped his arm throwing him off balance for just a moment. He was about to reach out but a strong yet feminine hand wrapped around his wrist holding him in place. Cold skinned and a little worried, eyes shot towards the source but came to find none other than a tall, powerful looking kunoichi.

She was slender with spikey brown hair. Imposing and tall, Naruto was certain she was as tall as Jiraiya! The woman looked upon him shaking her head softly, all the while motioning him to watch. The girl before him stepped along sandals beating against the cobblestone and pavement. She continued walking, fearless of the giant metal puppet before her. Half of him knew that he could flip the woman if he so pleased, but the other half, the louder half, really wanted to see what this girl – kunoichi – could do. It was interesting; the girl didn't look like much, sure she had a large poncho and a hood over her head, but details.

Suddenly, the poncho and hood flew off her figure revealing a grey body suit that was rather form fitting. Her hair was long, tied into a ponytail that reached down her lower back. Her hitai-ate straps waved in the winds somehow not catching with her hair. As her poncho drifted off, her hands fell to her sides. With a beautiful flick of her wrists; shuriken appeared in her hands. And he didn't even see her reach into her shuriken pouches!

A loud, heinous cackle was heard coming from across the street as the metal puppet came closer. Naruto _really_ wanted to help now. Ramen be damned at this point – A FRIGGEN ROBOT PUPPET was attacking this girl! She sure could handle herself – probably – but he didn't feel right just sitting back and watching a fight ensue.

Soft thuds were heard and soon enough, a series of projectiles shot out towards her. Such things mattered little; she hurled her shuriken, picking each and every missile and rocket out of the air, popping and destroying each and every attack the puppeteer had in his arsenal. But once his long ranged assault had come to an end and his arsenal exhausted; she charged forward like the wind, practically disappearing before his eyes.

Taking to the air with wind channeling off her legs, she flipped mid-air before bringing her leg down in a powerful, earth-shattering axe-kick. The windshield shattered and the rest of the puppet ripped in half like paper. Her kick didn't stop though; it continued tearing through the contraption until it exploded sending the pilot/puppeteer flying into the distance in an incredibly comical way. Once the smoke cleared and the debris had finished falling from the sky, all that remained – ignoring the scorch marks and crater of her assault – was the girl that pretty much shat on an opponent with one kick.

One. Kick.

The initial shock wore off and Naruto's heart raced at the sight! Such power was insane! He remembered hearing the report of Sakura's battle with Sasori's puppets; the girl used her super strength on almost all of them and Sasori's final body – his real one – was nearly indestructible. But those puppets were made of wood and other material, but this puppet was full metal and didn't sound hollow. This girl shoved her foot through foot after foot of metal with ease, like a warm knife to butter.

 _Who cares about ramen? I want to know who the hell she is!_

Blinking a few times, the girl appeared before him. Ignoring the incredible cleavage she had, his eyes locked her jade green orbs. Not a glimmer was in those eyes of hers. Almost dull in shade, Naruto's sapphire were almost inverse of her jade. But none of that mattered the moment her lips began to move and her voice, like silk, entered his ears.

"You." She said. Her jade eyes boring holes into his sapphire.

"M-Me?" Naruto responded, unknowing of what to say.

"You are a Konoha shinobi, are you not?" The girl was clearly doing her best to not glare at him.

"I-I am. What can I do for you?" Naruto asked.

The woman who held him before walked up next to the girl and handed her the poncho. Naruto was in awe – how did the woman even get it without letting go of him before? Nevertheless, the older woman nodded her head to the girl and shared a few hushed words. Soon enough the girl wrapped it around her body in a quick and orderly fashion and headed off down the street, leaving Naruto and the woman.

"Now that she is no longer here…" the woman nodded once more. "I am Tokiwa and she is Shizuka, the heiress to Nadeshiko village – the village on the three mountain summits. You are a Konoha shinobi, by any chance do you know the apprentice of Jiraiya of the Sannin?"

 _Ero-sennin?_ Naruto was about to open his mouth and spill the beans of his status – err former status as Jiraiya's apprentice, but his eyes lowered to the woman's chest. This woman had a rack to rival Tsunade's! It was at this moment that Naruto feared for his life and happiness, after all, if a woman with a large rack was looking for someone using his former sensei as a reference, something must be afoot. Something that Naruto wanted _no_ part of.

"Nope." He responded with a blank expression. "I haven't seen the guy in a long while."

"Alright, thank you." Tokiwa walked away to follow after her apparent charge.

Watching her charge off down the street, Naruto took a deep breath and placed his hands to the back of his head. "None of my business; none of my business; none of my business…now…time for some ramen…"

Trudging through the streets, Naruto followed after the scent of that heavenly broth. No more than thirty minutes had passed and before he knew it, his legs moved on their own as his brain had turned to mush. A heavenly chorus had begun to sing as he practically floated into the ramen stand. While it was no Ichiraku, damn it all to heck, ramen is ramen and ramen dictated life and death. Plopping onto a seat, he ordered a total of seven bowls of pork and miso ramen. He had to make up for lost time and meals after all. In almost no time at all, the first round of bowls were slapped onto the counter in front of him.

Just as he snapped his chopsticks though, a voice called out from behind. "Naruto! Ah, of course I'd find you here. You mind if I sit with you?"

"Nope." Naruto smiled. "What're you doing looking for me, Aoba? I thought it was unanimous that we'd avoid each other for our time on this island."

"It was, but strangely enough, I was cornered by a woman on my way from the Inn." The jōnin shrugged as he ordered himself a bowl of ramen. Naruto's face paled slightly. "And they asked if I knew where the apprentice of Jiraiya of the Sannin was."

"D-Did you say anything to them?" Naruto asked worriedly.

The jōnin felt a smirk growing on his face. "Of course not. I would never give away a comrade's position, even to kunoichi who seem to pose no threat –"

"–best way to find Naruto-kun is to rummage through every ramen stand in the vicinity!" A loud, boisterous voice appeared.

Aoba and Naruto shared looks of worry. If the purple color dripping down the blond's forehead was any indication; imminent demise was certain. Worried, the jōnin drew a kunai adopting a defensive stance as he did. "Get ready."

A great roaring sigh of frustration rushed from Naruto's lungs. "I just wanted some ramen…"

* * *

 **Let me know what you thought!**

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 **ja ne!**

 **gottahavekyuubi**


	2. Saving Face

**WOW! You guys really liked the opening  
** **and I'm glad that you guys did!  
thank you for all the reviews and follows and favs!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Saving Face**

There were few times in his life that he'd ever say he hated his senior commanders. _Incredibly few._ He couldn't help the rage and anger growing in his rumbling stomach; the chopsticks dripping with ramen broth had even snapped, catching the chef's attention. As the boisterous voice began to fade, the flaps of the stand had parted to reveal the beaming smile and bowl cut hair of none other than Might Guy, the strongest, the most ferocious and the most foolish jōnin the Uzumaki had ever had the pleasure – displeasure – of meeting.

Beside him was the woman Tokiwa, face painted with confusion, her eyes boring deep holes into his skull with a steely deadpan. He turned in his seat, swiveling with the chair. Time sat still for the Uzumaki; his sapphire eyes were wide, skin frozen. Their eyes locked for a few moments, burning with a fiery hue in those irides of hers. Naruto felt it; hell he had his own. Damn woman was looking for him – because of his foolish former sensei. _Sure_ Naruto loved the old man like a grandfather or even father, he just couldn't stand that this was probably some sort of confession from some woman.

"Y-You're Jiraiya of the Sannin's apprentice?!" the woman looked at him incredulously. "But you yourself said -"

"Only a fool would give his identity away to just _anyone_." Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Okay, let's cut to the chase; since you're not here asking me what happened to the old perv; I assume he doesn't have any kids running about that no one knows of. What do you want with me?"

Aoba looked to Naruto and the woman, slowly inching away to take a different seat. The tension in the ramen stand was palpable. Taking a tense seat next to the Uzumaki, the woman raised a hand and quickly ordered a bowl of ramen as well. Her eyes were planted with the counter, staring aimlessly.

"I'm surprised the irony of this all…" Tokiwa began. "Who would have known that the one person we are about to leave to seek out would wind up here…"

"The power of coincidences." Naruto slurped at his bowl. Reaching for another, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the container across the counter. Still nervous in the woman's presence. "I'm sorry for being the way I was…I just…"

"It's smart." Tokiwa responded quickly. "You have nothing to worry about, young Naruto. Jiraiya-sama must have taught you well."

"He did…" A small smile grew on his face. "Sadly enough; he never told me about any of this."

"What do you mean?" The woman looked up from her bowl, almost face-faulting at Naruto. He was already filling his face with ramen, all the while stacking the previous bowl he had. The tower of empty bowls astounded the kunoichi, seasoned and having seen many things through her warrior's tenure – but never had she seen something so profound and…disgusting. "Jiraiya-sama never once spoke of his duel – of Nadeshiko?"

Naruto continued shaking his head. "He taught me a lot of things; chakra control, rasengan mastery, _other_ things. He taught me the history of the shinobi world and his own ideology on how to change it. Nadeshiko and any of this…not a sound from the old sage."

"Well…" Tokiwa awkwardly slurped at her bowl of ramen. "I guess there's no use in beating around the bush…"

Naruto slowly placed his chopsticks next to his bowl. "Let me guess…this story starts out how almost every story involving my sensei starts, huh?"

"Well…"

* * *

 _Decades ago…_

Explosions rocked the village. Kunoichi of Nadeshiko ran back and forth, shouting orders and crying out for blood. Sure, it was totally justified but damn – these women were _stingy_ as hell. Jiraiya hung beneath one of the great bridges by a simple rope of sticky gum. Sweat fell down his cheeks like bullets, building and then finally growing too heavy and drifting against his skin. He could hear the drawing of swords and kunai, the singing metal sending shivers up and down his sweaty back. Such a sound never brought the sight of a woman's breasts or the curvaceous figure of a woman's hips and legs. Oh no – this sound brought pain and torture.

They were after him and they were out for blood – his blood. Jiraiya frowned, scoffing at his perfect, never failing luck. Of course following rumors and leads would bring him to this. A village of nothing but beautiful, bountiful women, just perfect for research purposes, just so happened to be the most stingy and cruel women he'd ever met. Who would have known that being Jiraiya of the Sannin would be so negatively received that he'd have to sneak into the village? To be fair of course; women from Tsuchi no Kuni to Mizu no Kuni probably have set out messages and warnings to all the free women of the world.

Regardless; the rumors were flooding his ears and he'd even run into a few minor warlords raving like addicts about Nadeshiko kunoichi and their sublime beauty and renowned strength. Ironically, the Sannin had never heard of such a village until he overheard some girls in a brothel speak high praise for Nadeshiko. Of course though, lo and behold, the rumors of their beauty were truth. Worryingly so, their strength was also painfully true. He had snuck into the village, notebook ready and telescope preparing to draw. How they managed to catch him, the Sannin did not know. One thing was for certain; these kunoichi were efficient.

Within seconds of the reveal of his position, almost a dozen kunoichi practically appeared from the void of darkness. Their faces were fair, their racks were massive and their legs were thick and fit well with their skin-tight body suits. If he wasn't so worried for his physical well-being, he would have lost the shame and suffered a painful nose-bleed. Snapping from his fogging brain and thoughts, he dodged and ducked and back-flipped, doing everything he can to escape the inferno that is their ire. Absolute foolishness, really. Jiraiya regretted what he'd done almost immediately, seeing those kunai and swords and even _spears_. The gods must have watched after him; not a single ninjutsu was launched his way during the fight.

His thoughts finally faded, removing the reverie. Holding his breath, he wouldn't put it past these kunoichi to somehow sense and hear his own breathing and beating heart. Their footsteps had stopped just above him. One didn't need clairvoyance to know what would happen if they simply looked over the railing. He struggled, hearing their conversations, speaking of a white haired peeping tom. As all hope seemed lost for the young Sannin, the footsteps started once again, a few kunoichi taking off down the bridge. Slowly; his arms grew heavy and stiff. _This is time for me to let go._

Descending to the ground below, he could hear the faint sound of enraged women and blades singing in the wind. Taking a moment to glance at the beastly kunoichi, the weapons were cutting through the air, almost imbued with wind chakra. Bracing himself, he smashed through branches and the thick forest canopy below. Stopping for a moment, he landed perfectly upon a thick tree branch. He steadied himself, watching his surroundings and basking in the dim lighting of the great moon above. But of course, in the midst of offended women, there was no safe haven until he left the country. Kunai and shuriken rained through the forest canopy, digging into the bark and trunk of the tree.

Almost a mirror image of what he had done, a beautiful ginger-haired woman appeared. Her eyes were glimmering like precious emerald gemstones in the night. Drawing the dangerous looking katana from her back, she along with her kunoichi sisters took a stance for battle. Their eyes screeched bloody murder. Jiraiya of course, came unarmed because what gentleman pervert would enter an all-female village with weapons?

"Ladies…" Jiraiya raised his hands in a false sense of surrender. "As much as I'd love to stay here…I'll take this as my cue to ditch… **Kuchiyose no jutsu!** "

Suddenly, a great plume of smoke appeared, ripping through the scenery. From the smoke a gargantuan toad of maroon-purplish color had risen from the epicenter. On its back a shield of equal proportions glimmered with the rays of the moon. With a bellowing, but somehow reserved call of 'ungracefulness' the giant toad hopped off into the distance, shaking the earth as its monstrous hind legs crashed with the dirt and forest.

He continued running, dashing through the horizon doing everything he can to escape their wrathful pursuit. Finally, well past the break of dawn and the early morning; Gamaken had dispelled hours before, leaving Jiraiya to continue on his way by foot. Escaping would be no easy task since Nadeshiko was on an island a significant distance from the mainland Elemental Nations. Taking a breather, he fell to a knee beside a Clearwater stream. Such tasty and clean drink had never felt so well-deserved. He cleaned his face a few times, dousing his skin and a few locks of his hair until he paused for a mere moment.

"Hmm…" He spoke. "I'm surprised that you managed to follow me all this way."

"Your skills are incredible." She praised. "I've never seen such powers used before."

"Look…" Jiraiya rose to face her. "I don't want to fight you –?"

"I want to fight you." She spoke with a steel tone. "If you beat me, you will have my hand in marriage."

* * *

"Wait, **_what_**?!"

Naruto's ramen broth showered forth, spraying against the counter walls. Even the chef was sprayed in his spit. His face was purple and red at the same time. Slowly backing away from the woman, it took a shot while for him to regain his bearings. _I wanted to know what the deal was, not inspiration for Icha Icha Tactics!_

"We are a matrilineal village; only women are allowed in the village." Tokiwa was quick to add. "We go around the world searching for powerful shinobi to find and bring home to Nadeshiko to have offspring with them. Jiraiya-sama and our previous leader fought so hard that they destroyed the scenery and even caused landslides. But in the end, they managed to battle to a stalemate."

The blond stared at his ramen, stomach no longer grumbling. Taking his silence as the cue to continue, she took another deep breath.

"As a stalemate, Jiraiya-sama and our last leader made a deal that they would continue their duel at another date and if they can't…their students would battle for marriage. Shizuka, the girl you saw defeat the robot, will duel you for her hand in marriage."

Her eyes never left the bowl of ramen in front of her. Reaching forward, fingers slowly brushing against the pair of chopsticks beside her food. As much as she wanted to continue eating – it calmed her stress – her mind wandered too far. Thoughts clouded and formed, growing into a full conversation in her mind, thinking of what she could say to convince him otherwise, going over every contingency. She could already hear his rage and screaming voice. Using her skills of deduction knowing what little of his personality and…

"It's too quiet…Naruto-san?"

The woman's head snapped up from her bowl of half-eaten ramen. Astonishment flooded her body, sending shivering cold and lightning up and down her nerves and spine. Quickly whipping her eyes back and forth, the blond shinobi and the two Leaf shinobi with him had disappeared as well. A small plate of barely bitten onigiri and untouched bowls of ramen remained where these men sat and ate. She slowly rose from her seat, hands and arms hanging at her sides completely awestruck once again.

* * *

"D-Did you not hear what that she was saying?!" Naruto panted heavily. Sweat dribbled down his forehead and cheeks. "All that marriage crap?! I…I can't do that! I…my heart belongs to someone else! Thank you, old perv! You've done me a _real_ solid here! _NOT_!"

"Just calm down, Naruto." Aoba sighed, wiping the sweat off his own brow. "What is it with you?"

"Remember when stopping on the island was gonna be for R&R?! Because I sure as hell don't anymore!" Naruto frowned. "Come on, let's get to the Inn. I just wanna get off this island already!"

The three shinobi took off like a man in a crucible. Taking to the rooftops, the trio made it to the Inn with plenty of time left for leisure in the hotel. Sweat dribbled down the Uzumaki's face, slowly drenching his orange jumpsuit. The three hobbled along into their room to find Tenzo sitting at the coffee table, sipping at a cup of coffee and watching a show on the Television. As the door opened full swing, the smile he had on his face actually faded. It was so painfully slow, the Uzumaki felt bad for showing his face so soon.

"What are all of you doing here so soon?" Tenzo asked with a neutral expression.

"Long story short…" Naruto sighed as he collapsed in front of the jōnin. "Pervy Sage failed to say anything about setting me up to duel some kunoichi for her hand in marriage."

Tenzo, the ANBU, jōnin, wood-style badass, known for supreme composure and death face that sends terror into any man's soul; spit his steaming hot coffee like a garden hose. Naruto's face showered with burning hot liquid, steaming against his tanned skin. Normally, the Uzumaki would scream and yell and be a nuisance – this was a serious moment, no time for childish antics. The jōnin looked at one another, sharing looks of worry.

"He did what?" Tenzo looked at the Uzumaki with an incredulous look.

"Heard it all with my own ears as well, Tenzo." Aoba added. "Surprised me as well."

"Honestly, I don't see what's wrong." Guy cried with the _flames of youth_ burning in those eyes of his. "A thing such as marriage is a beautiful ceremony. The embrace of a man and a woman –"

"GAAH!" Naruto shouted, bringing his hands up in self-defense. "NO! Stop! It's not like that! It's all because of the old pervert making some asinine promise – and I'm the one picking up the slack!"

"Besides, this is a secret mission. We can't afford any distractions or unaccounted variables." Tenzo added. "We have our supplies anyway; we should leave as soon as we can tomorrow."

"Agreed." Guy shrugged his shoulders. "We can sleep early and head out under the cover of morning fog."

But Naruto knew better. As the jōnin gathered their belongings and packed their bags, he stayed still. He sat at the head of the coffee table, hands resting against his knees. A fresh hot pot of tea steamed carrying the scent of oolong. Next to the pot, a small and easy cup of instant ramen steamed with the tea. Strangely enough; he couldn't bring himself to reach ahead to drink and eat. Despite it, the jōnin didn't think much of it, not even taking a moment to check up on the Uzumaki.

Finally taking a moment to move, he sipped softly at the tea, feeling the scalding water press against his lips and skin. Barely wincing, the tea was sipped away, leaving him to dig into the cup of instant ramen. Time inched along at a turtle's pace, the moon glowing painfully bright through the inn's windows. He found himself in his bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. Aoba, Tenzo and Guy were knocked out cold. Their snores growing monotonous and drilling into his eardrums. But he suffered through it, reminiscing upon the journey so far.

Clones dreaming and the reoccurring theme of not being able to face himself. Turning in bed, his eyes misted softly, thinking of what that could possibly mean. He knew who he was – he did. Thoughts churned and grew larger with doubt and fears mixing into some monstrosity. His body went cold, despite the blanket wrapped around him. But as his mind churned, so did his stomach. It clenched and shuddered with a roaring pain.

"Agh…" He sighed with a whisper. Rising from his bed, he moved with an expert ninja grace, exiting the inn without a sound. "That tea…probably drank too much…"

Despite the raving rumbling within his core, the boy leaned against the railing of inn's walkway. There was a worrying feeling bubbling in his chest. He was being watched and whomever was watching him, made sure to let him know that they were watching –

 _Oh gods._ Naruto's eyes locked with the shadowy figure of the kunoichi Tokiwa. _SHE FOUND ME!_

He subconsciously ducked beneath the walkway railings. His back pressed against the wooden walls, sweat growing on his brow once again. Slowly peeking his head over the railing, Tokiwa still stood there; her expression seemingly unimpressed. He slid down against the wall, eyes planted with the walkway floor. _Oh what the hell._

Rising to his feet, he beamed a nervous smile at the towering kunoichi. Naruto practically jogged the rest of the way. Collapsing upon a jutting rock in the garden in front of the inn, he looked up at Tokiwa, almost awaiting her to get mad. "You f-found me…"

"It'll be difficult to get rid of me." Tokiwa spoke with a straight face. _Highly professional_.

"I'll cut to the chase, Tokiwa-san." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm _not_ dueling her. I cannot wait up any longer – I have my own schedule to deal with. I'd say go find some other strong guy to fight her –"

A heavy punch met the stone garden lamp. Tokiwa's fist dug into the stone top. "Don't speak so carelessly! Shizuka-chan doesn't like this situation either! She may seem cold, but she is indeed a kind-hearted woman."

"She once had a lover…named Sagiri." Tokiwa began. "He was a trader granted access to the village. But a faction growing among our sisters believed that he was going to ruin our heritage and culture. So…no one knows for sure but one day he's attacked and is killed almost immediately. Since then, Shizuka locked her heart away, and chased after the strongest men only to kill them where they stood. It is almost as if she's punishing herself."

"Please, Naruto-san…" Tokiwa fell to a knee. "You must duel her."

* * *

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	3. I Follow My Own Path

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for this story so far! Thanks guys, means alot!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: I Follow My Own Path**

Naruto watched with a solemn look on his face. Almost feeling sorry for lying so brazenly to his jōnin companions. While it was painfully obvious that he was a shadow clone on the ship, it would seem that his untimely luck hasn't run thin. Behind him, Tokiwa rested against a tree with the young Shizuka sitting on a rock. Not a word had escaped their lips since they had met in the forest clearing. The tense air between them was palpable. There was a nagging feeling in his stomach that wouldn't leave him be; this will come to a bout of fists. Damn it all to heck of course – he really wanted to talk to her, convince her to not do something hasty.

Conversation was always his strong suit, he'd come to realize over the years with Jiraiya as his master. Despite his fighting skill growing exponentially with new powers like Sage Mode, he felt he will always resort to the simple act of talking if it were possible. In the end bloodshed was ultimately unnecessary, as taught by his former master. A small smile grew on his face, Zabuza, Nagato, among others; the heartstrings always did more damage than any sword or ninjutsu. The smile he grew, disappeared as quickly as it had come. Grass shuffled and cloth ruffled behind him, forcing a heaving sigh from blond.

"Naruto-kun. Thank you for deciding go through with the duel." Tokiwa nodded her head.

"I honestly have no intention of fighting you, Shizuka." Naruto shook his own. "I only want to talk."

Almost a reflection of his own, she took a powerful deep breath. Removing her hood, her hair flowed about like a carbon waterfall. Turning to face him, for the first time, Naruto felt his heart jump. _Her eyes._ His breath left him for a mere moment. _So…empty…_

It was true. Not a sparkle or a glimmer in those jaded eyes of hers. Her face bore no brightness, no happiness; stern like porcelain. While beautiful, the glare and the never-ending – terribly hidden – emotional suffering was bare for all to see. Her eyes were heavy, wide yet half-lidded. Those dark irides were colored flat, saturation washed clean leaving nothing but a dull empty shell. Her face betrayed nothing of what she felt. "I _will_ fight you. I intend to see how truly strong you are."

"Let me guess…there's no way I can convince you otherwise?" Naruto's face deadpanned.

"Prepare yourself, Naruto-san." Shizuka's response was cold.

" **Doton: Takkenrō!** " Tokiwa roared out as she slammed her palm into dirt.

Like an earthquake, the ground shook and shattered, screaming out as great pillars shot into the air. Slowly merging together, the pillars created something akin to the walls of an arena. The field exploded, lowering into a massive trench, leaving the soil exposed with not a sight of the original vegetation. And in the chaos, Naruto found himself almost twenty meters away from Shizuka, dirt and debris clouds disappearing almost magically.

"Shizuka…" Naruto called. "Just take a moment to think about this!"

" **Nadeshiko-Ryū Kōha Reppūken!** "

Her right arm cocked back, glowing with chakra. Taking the first steps, she rushed forward like a whirlwind of energy. Naruto, of course, dodged the attack, feeling wind explode forward like a cannon. It released incredible amounts of compressed wind energy, forcing an equally incredible shockwave, shattering the soil and the dirt. Rocks and great splintered stones flew in every direction forcing him to break his stance. Back flipping and practically floating along, he dodged the woman's first attack.

 _Keep in mind, Naruto._ The boy frowned. His eyes widened slightly watching her draw an arsenal of kunai. It came along like a hailstorm of steel and iron. _This girl killed a solid steel puppet, with only **one** kick. Sakura-chan struggled with Sasori's wooden puppets – and she is one of the strongest women I know._

He dodged and weaved between each speeding blade. She spun like a tornado, hurling another series of kunai like torrential downpour never ending. The shadow clones he'd created to distract her were disposed of in quick fashion, good thing he had more than enough chakra to keep pumping more clones. Upon the walls of the trench, he and a small strike team of shadow clones jumped into the air preparing to catch her off guard.

" **Rassenpū!** " Without a single hand seal, she took a breath, hurling a powerful wave of cutting wind.

The shadow clones were quickly disposed of, popping into thick clouds of white smoke. From the destruction of his clones, Naruto burst through the clouds, rushing for Shizuka's rear. The moment he landed, she moved like a goddess of wind. As graceful as nature's breath, she dropped low, kicking his feet out from under him. He landed in a pained heap, kicking up a small cloud of dirt and dust. From the chaos of her counter, he found himself at knife point.

"I guess it's over." Shizuka spoke with a flat tone, almost not surprised.

"Damn right it is."

Her eyes widened at the voice, visibly tensing. His fingers were pressed at the nape of her neck. Her skin grew damp with beads of sweat dribbling like morning dew. Lowering her knife, she resigned herself, loosened up and sat straight.

"Do it." She said in a near whisper. "Deliver the final blow!"

"Damn it woman." Naruto drew his hand back. "What do you not get about me **_not_** wanting to fight you?!"

"Then I'll fight her!"

 _Oh come on…_ Naruto's eyes rolled. _Not this guy again…_

Suddenly, from the silence, a massive robotic arm rose from the dirt, shattering the field. Following the arm, the rest of the robot's body came with it easily towering over the arena walls. But of course, Shizuka being the insane kunoichi she was, the woman called out to her understandably worried caretaker. The heiress slammed her fist into the robot, sending ripples of chakra through the metal frame. Explosions of fire and chakra rocked the beastly creation, sending shredded metal and scrap in every direction. Back-flipping away, she brought her leg down upon the robot's torso.

But from it all, she froze. She howled, screaming – to Naruto, it sounded awfully painful. Tokiwa yelled, insulting the man in the light pink blazer and creepy haircut. Terrifyingly enough; chakra strings had latched onto Shizuka's limbs and torso.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled. "Go be a pedo to someone else, buddy! We're in a middle of a conversation!"

" **SHUT UP!** WHY DON'T YOU GO FUCK YOURSELF AND LEAVE ME ALONE WITH MY –!"

"Yeah…how about a no."

Two clones somehow phased into existence on either side of him. Slicing through the chakra strings with lightning fast strikes, releasing the captured heiress. Above him, Naruto and a clone charged up a raging rasengan, gathering a fair amount of wind chakra into the attack.

" **Rasengan!** "

* * *

"Why did you save me?"

"Okay…" Naruto brought a hand to his forehead. "I've had it up to _here_ with just about everyone lately!"

Shizuka blushed in embarrassment. "That's not what I meant! Why didn't you strike me down when you had the chance?!"

"Okay, look!" The Uzumaki fell to a knee. "Would it have made you feel better if I did?! I said I came here to talk, so now that the pedo is gone, there is literally nothing else in the way."

Shizuka looked at him with wide eyes. "I…"

"Tokiwa-san told me everything." Naruto fell back. "Your lover, your village rules…locking your heart away to find a husband; it sounds ridiculous, don't you think? Punishing yourself for other people's faults? Don't you get tired of that?"

"Naruto…" Shizuka's eyes trailed to the dirt. "It's my destiny…I…I have to find –"

"Funny thing about destiny, Shizuka-chan." His voice grew light, almost laced with reminisce. "Destiny has a funny way of being as ambiguous as the future…destiny means nothing."

"How can you even believe that, Naruto?" Her jade eyes narrowing.

Eyes jumped slightly, turning to face her. "I'm totally gonna get in a lot of trouble for this. I'll be as vague as possible; my destiny was to be a grand shinobi under the tutelage of Konoha's greatest shinobi…but everything changed of course; then my destiny became something more depressing. I should have died years ago. I should have been killed, maimed, murdered – heck, you name it, yet here I am. Destiny holds no weight until you give it that weight. You say it's your destiny, your culture and your rules; woman, you're the heiress to the damn village – use that to your advantage! Change the rules, change the village! Don't live under the thumb of whomever is forcing you to follow their image. If I'm gonna be honest with you; destiny can suck a fat one."

"And I'' be real with you, I don't know much about love, if anything." Naruto added. "Losing a lover must be rough…what I know of the subject only goes so far…but there's a girl I like to think I'm in love with. It's completely one-sided on my part, after all, just my incredible luck, she'd fallen for our teammate. Despite it all, I can't force her to love me; or else I'm literally no better than pedo-saurus rex, who by the way…is probably still up in the clouds. Now that I think about it…I probably put too much chakra into the rasengan. Eh…whoops?"

Laying into the dirt, he rested his head upon his palms. Just as his mind began to drift, his skin grew cold, almost terrified in the moment. With a look of incredulous terror, he tilted his head over to face the kunoichi he'd been worrying about.

She was _**laughing**_. It wasn't a malice filled, angry laugh either; she was genuinely happy. Taking heaving breaths between each laugh, her eyes glimmered for the first time since he'd seen her. The stiff lip and eternal scowl she wore, had turned into a beaming toothy smile. Her giggle echoed in his eardrums, surprising him by how sweet it sounded. She was a completely different person than before. She grinned, smirked, even cried a little from how much she bellowed guffaw. Shoulders rose and fell, rumbling with a soft beat. Dare he even bring up; her breasts were magnificent and danced with the rest of her trembling – yet joyous – body.

 _Holy shit…_ Naruto's eyes widened, shimmering like sapphires in a clear water pond. _She's…she's…_

"Naruto…" Shizuka's amusement calmed to a manageable pace. "T-Thank you…for every –"

" **O!** "

"AGH!" The boy in question shouted out with fear. "Y-Yamato-taichō!"

" **You've been sneaking off, _again_!** "

 _Oh shit! It's the death face!_ He took a defensive stance; eyes as wide as plates. "Please! I was j-just…just…"

* * *

Seagulls squawked and men and women cried out for buyers. Fresh fish caught from the sea rested in baskets. Ramen stands filtered the sea salt air, mixing into a perfect aroma, as addicting as can be. Men and women walked along, finally calm and none-the-wiser of the battle he'd just had with their village's heiress. Strangely enough; she started talking to him, standing by his side. Tokiwa, as loyal as she was, stayed behind the pair of shinobi, a hint of a smile on her face.

It was surprising, Shizuka opening up so quickly and so earnestly. The two talked of ramen and food, of all the things. She laughed, giggled and smiled; things she hadn't done in so long. It made her battle-hardened heart clench with pride. While the two stayed a respectable distance from each other; they were already quite close, sticking to each other's sides.

"He has a way with people…" Tokiwa looked to the Konoha jōnin beside her.

Yamato laughed to himself. "Yes…yes he does. It may be hard to believe, but he used to be a fool of fools; impossible to reason with, impossible to beat."

Tokiwa released a powerful guffaw. "Much like the stories I've heard of his former master."

As the ship came into view, Shizuka's tone grew quiet, softening into a near whisper. But even then, their mood didn't change. Naruto's smile beamed like a thousand stars and Shizuka's jade eyes retained their glittering beauty. But despite the obvious schedule the blond had to go through, Shizuka grabbed his arm and led him to the first ramen stand in their vicinity. Yamato reached out to stop them but the towering Tokiwa gave him a small look; Naruto left such a mark on the kunoichi they wanted to enjoy the last few moments they had together.

His worries were unfounded as the pair of teenage ninja burst from the stand with take-out bowls and steaming ramen. They slurped away, giggling and still talking despite the food between their lips. Yamato sighed in defeat, bringing a hand to the back of his head. In the eyes of the unsuspecting, the pair looked like an actual couple. Mission or no, he'd have to be exceptionally cold to deny his charge this one bit of happiness – especially after all the crap they've been through on this tumultuous journey. Walking ahead, he decided that the two would find their way to the boat eventually. There was officially no need to be rushing along.

Sadly, all good things come to an end. Now, Yamato had already boarded the ship leaving the Uzumaki to bid farewell to the natives of Nadeshiko. Shizuka surprisingly, stood a little timid, gripping her arm with a hint of worry in those jade orbs. The corners of her lips quivered and twitched. For once, she couldn't meet his sapphire gaze.

"Shizuka…" Naruto spoke in a near whisper. "I don't want this to be goodbye…but there's nothing I can do. To think…I at first felt so put off by you and the thought of having to duel you. Now…I wish I could stay…"

Her eyes glimmered slightly, almost hurt by what he said. "Naruto…I…I don't want you to leave…but I know you have to…I just wish we had more time."

"Promise me something, Shizuka-chan." His hand rose to wipe the stray tear from her cheek. "Promise me that you won't lock your heart away, ever again. Promise me…because in the last hour alone…you've shown yourself to be one of the most beautiful and amazing people I know…you deserve happiness; you deserve love. So please, don't ever punish yourself, you owe it to yourself to be happy."

"When will I ever get to see you again?" Shizuka looked up, sclera bloodshot.

His eyes shut, almost pained. "I don't know…"

"I see…"

His hands rose, resting on her shoulders. "Hey…don't be like that. Besides, you'll find another idealistic blond –"

"That's not the point!" Shizuka shook her head. "I haven't felt this… _alive_ …in what feels like years. And I've even made a friend."

"Naruto!" Aoba was heard. "Come on, the crew's ready to depart!"

The Uzumaki whipped his head back to the shinobi and the crewmen running back and forth on the deck. Ropes were pulled and the gangplank was slowly drawn back. The sails were released and the ropes binding the ship to the docks were slowly being undone. Almost torn, he turned his head back to Shizuka, the red hue on her cheeks matching the worried look in her irides. Once more, he turned back to the ship, this time hopping onto the deck.

The girl watched the ship drift out of the port. It moved slowly, barely able to flow in the low tide waters. Naruto's clones were seen jumping and dashing port to starboard, aft to bow. Pulling ropes and guiding the ship through the shallow waters. Shizuka bit her lip but felt a smile grow on her face. He instilled something she had lost; happiness. His idealism and stupidly beaming smile sent ripples through her tired, heavy heart – it was refreshing to meet someone who wasn't after her position or body. A part of her wanted to go with him, ignoring the village and the rules they had set; but the louder part, begged her to stay and take his words to heart.

"Shizuka-chan!"

Her body nearly jumped at the sound. Naruto had godly lungs, if he was able to shout that loud. Spinning on her heel with Tokiwa getting out of her view, she could see the blond Uzumaki waving happily.

"I promise I'll come back to see you! You better train and get stronger! I'll take you up for a rematch!"

But then, his voice disappeared along with his figure. The ship was so far along the bay, there was no turning back for him. Her eyes turned and faced the three tips of Nadeshiko village, looking at the banners she'd been born to. Her sisters running and training, preparing for whatever missions were coming. Villagers had gone back to their normal schedules, quiet – albeit happier – and efficient. Artisans hammered away and chefs chopped and cooked. But despite the bustling docks and restaurants and artisan shops; everything seemed so… _empty_.

"Did I make the right decision?" She asked.

"What do you mean, Shizuka-chan?"

She froze where she stood, eyes locked with the silhouette of Nadeshiko village. "Letting him go…what if I never get see him again? What if…what if that other girl he spoke of, decides that she wants him too…what if…what if…"

She trailed off, thoughts distancing and growing in depth. The glimmering light in her eyes had dulled, turning her beautiful irides into a darkened jade. She stopped speaking, almost as if she had reached an epiphany. Nadeshiko looked beautiful in the midday sun, flickering with a grey palette, but for some reason, it no longer looked as beautiful as she used to think. It seemed like a prison, like chains that held her back.

 _Destiny holds no weight until you give it that weight._

"Tokiwa…" Shizuka's head hung low. "I…"

* * *

"Naruto…" Guy stood next to the orange clad shinobi. "How are you feeling?"

"About?" The blond did his best to seem uninterested. "I'm just enjoying the scenery…"

"You don't have to lie to us, Naruto." Aoba sighed with a smile. "You miss her already, huh. You work hella fast, kid."

"W-Wait!" A bright red blush appeared on his whiskered cheeks. "I swear it's not like that!"

"You sure?" Might Guy bellowed with a powerful hilarity, echoing like a monster's guffaw. "I saw with my own two eyes, you wiped the young heiress's tear like a **true gentleman bURNING WITH THE FLAMES OF YOUTH!** "

The blond deadpanned. "Well, Naruto; Guy isn't wrong. That was super smooth."

"I-It was nothing…" Naruto blushed deeper. "I w-was just t-trying to make her feel better, dattebayo! I-I swear, it wasn't like that!"

"Yamato-taichō!" The man in the crow's nest roared. "There's something running up to the ship!"

"Is it the Akatsuki; Pirates?!" The jōnin cried back. "Prepare to fight!"

"No! It isn't!" The man almost choked on his spit. "It's…it's…"

Waters exploded out in the sea. The waves were humongous latching upon the ship, shaking it left and right, sending Guy into a heated frenzy of seasickness. Naruto drew a kunai and Aoba prepared the first ninjutsu he thought of. Yamato had already created a weapon of wood and a shield as well. But all their preparations were for nothing. Shrouding them for just a moment, a figure rushed over the ship before crashing upon the deck.

"Shizuka?!" The blond cried out in surprise. Running down the deck, he stopped just before her. The skin-tight body suit she wore was damp and seemed even tighter. It fit her figure and form almost like a body glove, sending heat up and down, left and right. "W-What are you doing here?! What happened to staying in the village and fixing Nadeshiko?"

"Naruto…" She reached forward and grabbed the blond. "You said it yourself; destiny has no meaning…if I stayed, even if I did try to fix the village…I feel like I'd be wasting my abilities staying there…besides…"

 _I follow my own path, now and forever._

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